Valve



sePt- 175, 1953 s. o. MORRISON 2,652,071

VALVE Original Filed Nov. 29, 1948 lNvEN'roR' cumeel/ @Marr/wom `iatentec Sept. 15, 1953 VALVE Samuel 0. Morrison, Media, Pa.; Ella P. Morrison, executrix of said Samuel 0. Morrison, deceased, assignor to Sunrcc Refrigeration Company, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware Y Original application November 29, 1948, Serial No. 62,467. Divided and this application October 17, 1949, Serial No. 124,765

This application is a. division of my application Serial No. 62,467, led November 29, 1948, now abandoned. Y

The present invention relates to valves for fluid pressure or refrigeration systems and to protection of the same against the consequences of pressure and of freezing.

A purpose of the invention is to relieve the pressure on a vessel at the time now of fluid in the vessel ceases and to avoid the accumulation of abnormal pressure when flow of fluid in the vessel starts.

A further purpose is to maintain a closed vessel such as a tank, filter, water cooling unit or the like under minimal pressure during inactive periods so as toreduce the danger of damage from the pressure and particularly to avoid or minimize the damage due to freezing.

A further purpose` is to provide an inlet and an outlet valve to a closed vessel which are both operated by a common operator so that when the operator functions to open a. discharge from the vessel it will likewise open an inlet to the vessel, and when it functions to close a. discharge from the vessel it will likewise close an inlet to the vessel.

A further purpose is to provide the inlet and outlet valves in a common housing provided With separate valve chambers.

A further purpose is to open the outlet valve shortly before the inlet valve is opened and to close the inlet valve shortly before the outlet valve is closed, preferably by lost motion in the operators.

A further purpose is to reduce the lead time of the opening of the outlet valve before the opening of the inlet valve and of the closing of the inlet valve before the closing of the outlet valve to a very short time, suitably less than a second, to minimize syphoning.

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claim.

In the drawings I have chosen to illustrateone only of the numerous embodiments in which my invention may appear, choosing the form shown from the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation and clear demonstration of the principles involved. y

Figure l is a diagrammatic View of a fluid pressure system, preferably'a refrigeration system, to which the invention has been applied.

Figure 2 is an axial section of a valve employed in the present invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section correspondingto vFigure 2 and showing a, variation. 4 Y

In the drawings like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

Describing in illustration but not in limitation and referring to the drawings:

In fluid pressure systems such as tanks and piping in chemical plants, oil refineries, water distribution systems, lters, refrigeration systems and especially water coolers, it is common practice to maintain pressure vessels such as tanks, filters, heat transfer units, and the like continuously under a source of pressure, and to provide a valve at the outlet to control flow, opening the valve when discharge is desired, and closing the valve when discharge is to be cut off. Under this program, the pressure vessel or whatever character is continuously exposed to pressure, and is not only liable to fatigue failure of the metal of the Walls (or creep where high temperatures are used), but is also on the law of averages subject to those freaks of operation which cause abnormal pressure surges of the character associated with water hammer in a water distribution system. Accordingly the incidence of failure in such vessels is greatly increased. The problem is still further complicated in the case of refrigeration systems. Where a cooling coil or other heat transfer unit is maintained under pressure and freezing of the water or other liquid therein occurs as in a water cooler heat transfer coil, or in a cooled filter, or due to low atmospheric temperature in Winter, the effect is likely to be disasterous, resulting not only by bursting of the vessel, but also by flooding of the surrounding area.

To overcome these difculties, the preesnt in vention is designed to cut olf a vessel from contact with the source of pressure whenever now ceases, and at the same time to reduce or eliminate the pressure in the vessel for the period when'the vessel is inactive. 'When now is again restored, the invention assures that ruil line or pipe pressure does not build up in the vessel at the time of or preparatory to discharge. in accordance with the invention, inlet and outlet valves operated by common mechanism are provided so that, when discharge is desired, both outlet and inlet to the vessel will be established. In the preferred form of the invention, a slight lead time is established in opening of the outlet and in closing of the inlet so that there is no chance for the pressure from the pressure source to build up to its full value in the Vessel. By this means the system is protected against the consequences of maintained pressure andthe dangerv 3 less likely to be damaged by freezing than a closed system.

In accordance with the invention, the vessel may be of any suitable character whether a tank, filter, heat transfer unit or the like, but for convenience it is preferred to illustrate a system including a filter and a heat transfer unit. While this appears in a water cooling refrigeration system, the invention can be applied to other systems as already explained. l V

As shown in Figure 1, the mechanical refrigeration unit illustrated comprises a` compressor 20 driven by an electric motor 2| and providing high pressure refrigerant (such as Freon) in 'pipe 22 leading to condenser 23, from which the refrigerant passes through a constrictor 24 (expansion valve, capillary tube or otherv constrictor). From the constrictor the refrigerant passes to the refrigerant vtube 25 of an evaporator or heat transfer cooling unit 28,v andvthence returns by aA refrigerant lpipe 21 tothe suction side of the compressor.,V The evaporator 2 6 has in heat transfer relation4 with the refrigerant coil (arranged Vside by side in contact) a separate water cooling coil 28 which receives water from ahigh pressure sourcesuch as a city water distribution system 30 through an inlet valve 3| to a pipe 32, thence to a water filter 33 .and then by a pipe 34 to the water cooling coil 28. From thev cooling coil lthe waterpasses by a pipe 35 to an outlet valve 36 and from the outlet valve it flows vby a pipe 31 to a dispenser 38 (faucet, bubbler or the like).`

kThe inletand outlet valves are desirably contained in ahousingmshownin detailnin ylfligure 2., The housing is tubular and is separated nearthe middle bysa transverse partition 4| having a center opening V42 provided with a tubular guiding..skirt 43, Orione s ideN of the partition is4 an inlet valve chamb,er-4 4,l and on the otherside of the partition isan outlet valve A-cham|;\er,45,4V wholly Aseparate therefrom. i The inlet valve chamber is divided intermediateits endsby a circular inletvalve seat 46 which cooperates with the `circular inlet valve 3| in closed position. The r connection 30 communicates .with the inletvalve chamber on onesidev of the seatr (preferably the side,remote from the outlet valveland the` connection 32 communicates with the inlet valve chamber von the other side of the seat. 4,The outlet valve chamber 45 is divided by a circular outlet valve seat '41 in line withthe inlet valve seat `and cooperating with the circularoutlet valve 36 when Ait is closed.

Both the inlet and outlet'valve open by movement from left toeright in Figure 2,"and since the, valves, are4 line and coaxial with the circum'ferentialy housing they ltravel back' and forth without difficulty, V

'I'he' forwardend of Athe Aoutlet valve chamber is closed by apartitione having a central openingk surrounded `by la tubular guiding l skirt Guided in the skirt 5| is a circular outlet valve plunger 52 at the axis,l and engaging Vthe outlet valve between ashoulder 53 on the plunger and a plunger extension 54 threaded on the plunger at V55 beyond the outlet valve. The plunger extension is slidably guided in the'skirt" 43 of the partition 4 2 to l prevent.f leakage between the chambers. AtI thel forward rend of the housing and conveniently located adjacent the dispenser for access to the hand of the user, is an operating handle56 consisting of a sleeve guided by a tubular skirt 51 on the end of thelhousing 'and limited in outward movement by a flange 58 portunity for syphoning occurs.

axial bore 63 at its rearward end, which receives 'the forward end 64 of an inlet valve plunger 65 threaded on to the inlet valve at 65 and having a shoulder'lat 'the side of the inlet valve remote from the outlet valve. The rearward end of the outlet valve plunger is guided in a bore B8 in the rear end 10 of the housing. The inlet 'valve is restored to closed position by a spring 1| Aacting around the inlet valve stem between the rear end of the housing and the inlet valve.

It will be evident that a lost motion is provided between the outlet valve plunger and the inlet valve plunger 'so that the outlet valve is fully open before the inlet valve begins to open Yand's'o 'that the inlet valve is closed before the outlet valve closes.

The dispenser is 'of course open to atmosphere, and it will be evident that the outlet valve when connected 'as shown in the present invention functions as a relief valve, since if pressure from any source should accumulate in the vessel, as for example because of leakage of the inlet valve, such pressure will be: applied onthat side of the outlet valve tending to open the outlet valve against the action of the spring |52. The spring 52 is therefore adjusted or chosen asto force not merely to restore the outlet valve and its operating parts to 'closed position, but to determine the relief'pressure at which the outlet valve will functionas a relief valve incase pressure develops in thevessel.

In operation it 'will be "understood that the user will merely press the'button or handle in the usual, manner t'o operate'the dispenser, and will be entirely unconcerne'd'with the action of the valve. As the user begins to operate thehandle,rthe outlet valve will open, thus assuring that no high pressure Vcan accumulate in the vessel when theinlet i'falveA opens. Further pressure'on the handle will open theV inlet valve' as` soon'as the lost motion is taken up, and 'flow of fluid will occur. In the 'particular system shown, the 'flow will be of water through the dispenser, but it could equally be of oil; chemical, gas or Aany other fluid from a system. As soon as the user desires tol cut off the discharge, hereleasesthe handle. As soon as the' handlemoves 'back far enough, the outlet valve closes under the'action of the spring Further motion of the handle results in closing theinle't valve. For a short time, however, the inlet valve is closed and the outlet valve is open, thus relieving the pressure in the vessel, and assuring that in case the vessel should freeze at a later time'the damage will be minimized.

In normal operation the time interval between the opening of the outlet valve and the opening of the' inlet Valve andfbetween the closing of the inlet valve 'and' the' closing of the outlet valve will be very short, normally a fraction of a second, such as one-tenth to 'one-hundredth of a'second. Even in water cooling systems which would have a tendency to sypho'n water out of the'water cooling unit under such conditions, the usual time required to effect appreciable syphoning is of the order of ten seconds, and therefore very little op- Of course if syphoning takes place, subsequent opening of the inlet valve may result in very noisy introduction of liquid to ll space occupied by air, and cooling will not be efficient due to the air in the system.

It Will be evident that While the invention is of special utility in connection with water coolers, and While the feature of opening the outlet before the inlet is opened and closing the inlet before the outlet is closed is of great importance, there is also great utility in the provision of inlet and outlet valves operated by the same operator and preferably in the same housing, even Without the other features.

In some cases the valve of Figure 2l may be connected differently from the arrangement previn ously described, as for example Where it is desired to employ the relief valve feature to discharge into the inlet rather than into the outlet. In this case the connection 3l may be made to the high pressure inlet, While the connection 35 will extend from the Valve to the tank or other closed vessel, the connection 32 will extend from the tank or other closed vessel, and the connection Sil be made to the discharge. Where the vessel is, likely to develop internal pressure as from a chemical reaction, and the valves are closed, such pressure will in this instance be discharged into the high pressure inlet. In case the valve is connected in this manner, the advantageous time lead between the operation of the two valves could not be employed.

In the form of Figure 2 the spring which acts on the handle also acts as the relief valve spring and the relief valve during operation is subjected to the frictional drag of the engagement of the plunger 52 with the skirt 5I (stuffing box). In some cases this may not be desirable and in Figure 3 I show a variant in which the relief valve operates against an independent relief valve spring and is not subjected to the frictional drag of the plunger 5i. passing through the skirt. In this form the plunger 52 has a lost motion connection 'i2 to an extension 522, which connects to the valve 36, taken up before the valve 3@ unseats when the plunger 52 is pushed by the operator. The lost motion, however, permits the valve 36 when operating as a relief valve to unseat under the action of a relief -valve spring I3 acting from the partition lll to the valve $16 in accordance with the relief valve pressure desired, While the spring 52 functions entirely as a handle return spring and does not determine the pressure at which the relief valve will act.

In operation the form of Figure 3 Will act in the same manner as that of Figure 2, except that F the eXtra lost motion 'i2 must be taken up before the valves can open manually, and on the other hand the relief Valve Will act Without moving the plunger 52.

In View of my invention and disclosure varia- The lost motion at 'l2 is tions and modications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention Without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such insofar as they fall Within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a valve, a cylindrical Valve housing, Walls :forming an inlet valve chamber at the rear end of the housing, an inlet connection at relatively high pressure to the inlet valve housing, walls forming an outlet valve chamber hydraulically separate from the inlet valve chamber toward the front end of the housing, an outlet connection to the outlet valve chamber at relatively low pressure, an inlet valve Seat in the inlet valve chamber directed toward the rear of the valve, an out let valve seat in the outlet valve chamber din rected toward the rear of the valve in line with the inlet valve seat, an operating handle at the front of the housing, an outlet valve plunger connected to the handle and extending through the outlet valve seat, an outlet Valve secured on the outlet valve plunger engaging the outlet valve seat in closed position, and closing by motion of the outletl valve plunger toward the front of the housing, spring means located inside the handle urging the outlet Valve plunger toward. closed position of the outlet valve, an inlet valve plunger extending in prolongation of the outlet valve plunger, making a lost motion connection with the outlet valve plunger and extending through the inlet valve seat, an outlet valve secured on the inlet Valve plunger engaging the inlet valve seat in closed position and closing by motion to- Ward the iront of the housing, spring means urg ing the inlet valve toward closed position, a connection to the inlet valve seat on the side toward the front of the valve housing and a connection to the outlet Valve seat on the side forward of that valve seat in the housing, the two connes tions last named being connected to one another to provide now through the inlet valve seat and through the connections last mentioned and then through the outlet valve seat when both valves are open.

SAMUEL O. MORRISON.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 616,197 Moller Dec. 20, 1898 1,540,131 Olson June 2, 1925 2,240,791 Leesburg May 6, 1941 2,408,541 Wilson Oct. 1, 1946 2,470,471 Carlton May 7, 1949 

